Of Blue Moons and Blue Birds
Dear students,
You are well aware that your behavior has been less than satisfactory over the past month, and has such landed you six in a series of detentions. But cheer up, you’re almost done, and we have a special surprise for you!
Since it’s nearly time for your winter holidays, Headmare Twilight and I want to give the six of you a chance to finish up your detentions with a fun assignment. Your task for this detention is to visit one of your hometowns in the pairs we assigned you, and bring back an item that is important to your holiday traditions.
For example: In the Dragonlands, the Feast of Fire involves winning a pile of gemstones for telling the best story, so you might bring back a gemstone or a story you overheard during the Feast of Fire.
Note: This does not condone stealing, nor taking anything that will be sorely missed or prevent the holiday from commencing. It must be something mass-produced.
Pairs and Locations:
Smolder and Yona – Yakyakistan
Sandbar and Ocellus – Changeling Hive
Gallus and Silverstream – Griffonstone
Best of luck!
Signed,
Counselor Starlight and Headmare Twilight
“I can’t believe we have to do this.” Gallus grumbled as Ocellus finished reading out the letter.
“Well, believe it. It’s your fault we got into this mess in the first place.” Smolder growled, glaring at her feathered companion.
“Uh, excuse me? Last I checked it takes two creatures to start a fight, flame-breath.”
“It doesn’t matter whose fault it was, guys.” Sandbar interrupted, holding up a hoof to separate the two. “We still have to do the detention.”
“Yeah, besides, the letter says this will finish the detentions!” Silverstream added, beaming widely. “Come on, aren’t you excited?!”
“Well, at least we’re not stuck in a classroom or something.” Smolder sighed, taking the scroll from Ocellus. “So Yona and I are going to Yakyakistan, Celly and Sandbar to the Hive, and you two…”
“Griffonstone! Ooh, I can’t wait to see it!” Silverstream beamed down at Gallus. “Aren’t you excited Gallus?”
“Yeah, sure.” Gallus shrugged. “I’m not sure what sort of thing Headmare Twilight expects us to get, Blue Moon Festival isn’t really… I dunno, we don’t have material things.”
“Well, she assigned you two to Griffonstone, so I’m sure she has something in mind.” Ocellus piped up, looking into a box the letter had been by. “Oh, look! Headmare Twilight got round-trip tickets for us. Here Gallus, this is yours and Silver’s.”
Gallus wisely stowed the tickets in his satchel as Ocellus passed them over, knowing better than to trust Silverstream with them. He trusted her in general, of course, but one of the reasons she was constantly in detention with them was her amazing ability to lose everything important – specifically pertaining to class assignments. Thus, Gallus felt no shame in keeping the tickets out of her claws, since he highly doubted Twilight would buy them new ones if they lost these.
“Alright, good luck guys.” Sandbar said as he put a scarf on, he and Ocellus heading out of the classroom.
“See you later, birdies.” Smolder snarked as she and Yona made their way out towards the train station as well.
Gallus sighed, glancing at the excited hippogriff beside him. “Well, come on, if we miss the train it’s a long flight.”
Silverstream just laughed. “You’re really funny, Gallus!”
Gallus rolled his eyes and led her out.
Once arriving at the base of the mountain by train, Gallus reluctantly led his excited classmate up the steep mountain. They flew, of course, seeing as they both had wings designed for battling the rough winds of higher altitudes. Silverstream would not stop being so cheerful, much to Gallus’ growing frustration. He couldn’t understand why she was so excited, he had told all of them about how awful Griffonstone usually was, and how they were during Blue Moon. But he didn’t have time to question Silverstream’s antics, as the wooden entryway was in sight.
“Well, here we are.” Gallus sighed as they landed. “Come on, let’s find that thing and get this over with.”
“Aw, come on Gallus, cheer up!” Silverstream pranced alongside him with a happy smile. “How bad can it be?”
Gallus raised a brow at her and promptly gestured to the dilapidated buildings around them. A branch broke off a nearby tree in perfect comedic timing. Silverstream just shrugged it off, despite the griffons walking by in a huff.
“Well, you know what they say, every cloud has a silver lining!”
“If there was any silver here, we’d have stolen it long before now.” Gallus huffed as he beckoned Silverstream further into the kingdom. “Griffons don’t just like gold, we’ll take anything that has some value.”
“Aw, Gallus, it’s just an expression!”
“I know.”
Silverstream’s beak skewed in confusion. “Huh?”
“Forget it.” Gallus shrugged and headed off. “Come on, I think I know where to get something like what Headmare Twilight wanted.”
“Ooh, what is it?”
“Blue Moon festival is just a holiday where families try not to kill each other over dinner.” Gallus reminded her as they walked. “So food.”
“Just food? No presents or special candles or anything?”
“Nope.” Gallus huffed. “We’re not like your kind, Silverstream. Griffons don’t have joy, or laughter, or happiness. We only care about gold, and maybe a very miniscule love for our families, but… not many of us have real families.”
“Hey Gallus.” Gilda’s voice made the blue griffon glance up. “Didn’t think I’d see you for another two weeks, what gives?”
“Assignment.” Gallus replied, avoiding Silverstream’s gaze. “I need a Griffon Scone.”
“Uh, sure, five bits.”
“Gallus!” Silverstream just had to make it impossible to ignore her at all times. “A scone?”
“Blue Moon Festival doesn’t involve material goods, Sil.” Gallus said as he dug around his bag for some bits. “This is all we’ve got.”
“Why are you okay with this, Gallus?” Silverstream looked genuinely concerned. “How are any of you okay with this? N-Not having any family? No presents o-or fun or decorations?”
“Give it up, griff-girl.” Gilda piped up, her claw extended to accept the bits Gallus was counting out. “It’s the way it’s always been, since before our time. We’re just used to it.”
“But that’s awful!”
“It may be ‘awful’ to you but those are our traditions, Silver!” Gallus rounded on her as he snatched the scone from Gilda, tossing her the bits. “And you have no right to be talking about them that way!”
“B-But–”
“But nothing!” Gallus shoved the scone into his bag. “They may not be all glittery and singy and happy like everyone else’s traditions seem to be, but they’re ours. The least you could do is try to respect them!”
“But you don’t even like these so-called ‘traditions’!”
“Hey! You two!” Gilda caught their attention, her feathers ruffling angrily. “Move this argument elsewhere, you’re getting in the way of my business!”
Gallus snorted angrily and beckoned for Silverstream to follow him. There was only one thing he was sure would convince her to back down, so he headed off in that direction. He knew Silver would follow him even though she was angry, so Gallus didn’t bother looking back.
He took his friend up the crumbling stone steps that led to the King’s castle. Gallus didn’t look back until he was at the very top of the steps, turning around to see where Silver was. As expected, she was following behind very slowly, gazing around to take in the mountain range around them, where the castle blended in perfectly with the gray rock and brittle branches of the leaves. Gallus grabbed the hippogriff’s claw, dragging her into the castle.
It was the same as it had been the last time Gallus had seen it. No surprise, the place was abandoned long before he was even an egg. The pedestal where the Idol of Boreas once rested was breaking from the weather it had been exposed to. Silverstream approached it, staring at it quietly.
“This is beautiful…” She breathed, looking up at him. “Is this where the Crown of Grover was? Before Headmare Twilight took it?”
“That’s where the Idol of Boreas used to be.” Gallus corrected. “The Crown was kept in a vault deeper under the castle until Headmare Twilight asked for it.”
“Why… why did you bring me here?”
“To make you understand.” Gallus rested a claw on the ruined pedestal, staring down at the stump and imagining the gleaming Idol described by Gruff sitting in its proper place. “Griffons are… prideful, Sil. Even now, we carry that pride with us. We may not have much to speak of, but what we do have is ours. No matter how little we think of something, as long as we can stake a claim to it, we’ll defend it.”
“I guess I understand that…” Silverstream frowned at him. “I just don’t get it… how can any of you be happy celebrating… nothing?”
“...The Blue Moon Festival didn’t used to be nothing.” Gallus sighed. “According to Gilda, who heard it from Gruff… it was a celebration of a fruitful harvest. But things being in ruins now, there hasn’t been a harvest to celebrate in moons…”
“So you just… don’t do anything?”
“Look, Sil, we aren’t the kind of creatures who have holidays like the rest of you. Our holidays were never times for joy and laughter and singing. We were haughty, proud creatures even back then, we didn’t care about anyone we weren’t related to.”
“I guess that makes sense… I still feel bad for you though.”
“Silver–!”
“Not the griffons.” Silverstream was quick to assure him, smiling sadly. “I meant you specifically. You said that it Blue Moon really is just griffons trying not to yell at their families, but… you don’t have a family.”
Gallus sighed and looked away. “If you’re going to apologize, don’t, please. It’s not like you killed them, so it doesn’t matter if you’re sorry.”
“I wasn’t going to.” Silverstream put a claw on his shoulder. “I was just going to say… why do you defend it if there’s no reason for you to…?”
“Because if I can’t have anything, I can at least have something…” Gallus sighed. “I don’t like Blue Moon, sure, but at least I can defend my kingdom… for the sake of my pride.”
“Okay.”
“What?” Gallus looked up at her in surprise.
“Okay.” Silverstream smiled faintly. “If it’s that important to you, I won’t complain. I-I still think you deserve a real holiday… you all do… but if this helps you feel better, than it’s okay.”
Gallus smiled faintly, before his eyes snapped wide open. “Sil, I think I know what Headmare Twilight wanted us to get.”
“Huh? But what about the scone?”
“Forget the scone, come on!” Gallus spread his wings wide and flew out of the castle ruins, hearing Silverstream shouting as she chased after him.
Gallus had heard stories, passed on to him through Gilda, originating from Gruff. He never thought to see if it was true, not since he was a little chick. He never found it, exactly, though Gabby claimed she’d seen it once. Hopefully, they’d still be there, exactly where Gruff had said. Gallus landed at the Abysmal Abyss, heading into the treeline.
“So what are we looking for, exactly…?” Silverstream asked, obviously confused.
Gallus hesitated to answer as he pushed aside branches, looking for the hidden clearing he’d heard about. Silverstream followed him dutifully, waiting patiently for him to find what he was looking for. It didn’t stop her from jittering excitedly, of course, but Gallus appreciated the effort.
Finally, he pushed aside a cage of overgrown thorn bushes, wincing as they scraped his claws, before smiling. He stepped through them, and his eyes went wide as he made room for Silver to follow behind.
“Sil, I found it. Watch your step, the thorns are sharp.”
Silverstream slipped through the opening easily enough, despite her taller frame. “Found what? I still don’t know what you’re looking… for…”
Gallus hardly noticed her voice trialing off as she, too, spotted what he was looking at. A shady glen, full of pale blue flowers that seemed to glow with a magic all their own. It wasn’t Poison Joke, Gallus was sure. These flowers were a lighter blue, and they were shimmering with what Gallus could only describe as moonlight.
“This is why it’s called Blue Moon Festival.” Gallus explained softly, stepping into the field to let the petals graze his claws. “It was rumored the flowers absorbed the moonlight into their blank petals, until they glowed. Then we would gather them into wreaths… to hang on doors.”
“They’re beautiful.” Silverstream beamed. “This must be what Headmare Twilight wanted! Only, how did she know about it if the griffons don’t use them anymore?”
“She probably expected something similar. A drawing of the flower or whatever. They’ve been thought to have died out, according to Gruff.” Gallus carefully plucked a flower. “I wonder if she’ll give us extra credit for a real one.”
“Oh, this is so wonderful Gallus!” Silverstream was feeling the beautiful petals of the other flowers. “Can we make a wreath?”
“Nah, probably better to leave them.” Gallus’ beak skewed. “Remember what Professor Applejack said about cuttings?”
“Oh yeah!” Silverstream fluttered over, smiling. “Well, one’s still just as pretty! So, are you ready to go?”
Gallus looked down at the flower, then nodded. “Yeah. Come on, before the train leaves without us.”
“Excellent work, all of you!” Twilight praised as she paced before the six, each of the items that the students had brought back laid out before her.
Smolder and Yona had brought back a decorative nose ring, which Twilight had Smolder explain the meaning behind. Smolder easily replied that the ring was a symbol of maturity to the Yaks, and they put it on their snow sculptures that represent the coming of age of their children. Twilight seemed very pleased with the explanation, before turning to Sandbar and Ocellus.
The pony and changeling had brought a lantern full of fireflies back from the Changeling Hive, and like Smolder and Yona, Twilight prompted Sandbar to explain it’s purpose. He laughed slightly as he told her, explaining how the changelings had misinterpreted the instructions on how to celebrate Hearth’s Warming – the sheepish look on Twilight’s face was a treat – and began their own traditions. The lantern was how they “lit” the fire every night, holding them above the prop fires. It was an important part of their new Hearth’s Warming traditions.
After pronouncing Sandbar’s explanation satisfactory, Twilight turned to face Gallus and Silverstream, smiling broadly. “Silverstream? What is the significance of this flower to Blue Moon Festival?”
Silverstream glanced at Gallus, then, seeing his confident grin, looked back at Twilight with a smile.
“In the old days of the Blue Moon Festival, griffons used to pick these flowers during every celebration. They used them as wreaths for their doors. It was the one thing they did during Blue Moon, not because they were prideful or greedy… but just because they could.” Silverstream explained. “Because it made them happy.”
“Very good!” Twilight marked it off on her clipboard with a smile. “And with that… you’re all free to go! Enjoy the rest of the time before the holidays, and please try not to get into any more trouble?”
“We promise!” The group chorused, and Twilight laughed, waving them off with a flap of her wing.
The group headed out as one, bumping hooves/claws and thanking their leaders for the lucky break. Silverstream glanced back at Gallus as the girls split off to head to their own dorm rooms. Gallus looked up in time to see her smile at him, and he smiled back, waving as he followed Sandbar off to their room. Silver beamed and followed the other girls, skipping along. Gallus smiled softly.
Maybe the pink hippogriff wasn’t so bad after all.